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If you have been following any nursing news this past year, it is clear the hottest topic continues to be the debate for safe staffing. Currently there are two prevailing thoughts on how nurses should be staffed in acute care areas – mandatory minimum ratios versus local staffing committees / plans. In an effort to become better educated in the matter and make appropriate decisions for support, I wanted to share this excellent discussion regarding the current staffing issues.

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Having been a nurse for over 18 years, I have endured a few Nurses Week. At first I was lured into the charm of my first “Nurses Week” bag. I had finally arrived – my first official nurses bag. I had arrived and for a full week, the folks at the hospital seemed to actually appreciate what we did for our patients. After a few mugs, key chains, beach towels and more bags, the charm quickly grew off.

Have you ever wondered what happened after all the hoopla from the Miss Colorado and The View controversy? Remember, all the nurses bonded together and we finally found our voice. It was a great time to be a nurse! A really great moment of pride. But then what? Well…. something did happen. Nurses found their voice. Nurses realized that apart we will accomplish nothing, but together, we are a million person force to be reckoned with. A few, humble nurses took that message to heart and were inspired to have a rally in Washington DC regarding the one issues we almost all agree on – staffing. On May 12, on the steps of the Capitol, Nurses Take DC!

Well, 2015 is quickly coming to a close and 2016 is right on its heels. This past year was my first, full calendar year as a blogger. Considering I hated every English and writing class I ever took – not what I expected to find myself doing. But, here I am and it has been a blast! I have met so many cool and interesting people. Really tapped into a whole unrecognized source of information and resources. But, most surprising, people actually wanted to read what I had to say! Crazy! So, here is my year in review – the top 10 posts of 2015!

One of the biggest areas my students tend to struggle with (besides care plans & concept maps) are evaluating labs. So, I am always on the hunt for some helpful tips and this week a stumbled upon some great stuff on Pinterest (of course!). Here’s some helpful lab tips for students and practicing nurses too!

Wowzer! What a week to be a nurse! Like what the heck just happened – the sleeping giant has arisen!! I always knew we had it in us as a profession. I just knew if we could find some common ground, we would be a force few could overcome! Little did I know it would come from such a benign place and the momentum would give nursing a new view!

So in case you have been working or live under a rock – here’s what’s been happening this week in the world of nursing…. Nursing’s New View!

Hi all! Hope your summer has gone well! It has been a fun and busy one for me, especially since I had a clinical group for a super fast summer session. Clinicals can be tough enough on a good day, but for my fundamentals nursing students, summer session is like learning via a fire hose!

As we head back into the fall session and the stress level starts to amp up again, I thought I would share some self-care tips for nursing students. Although you may have heard a few of them in the past, really take them in and consider, “how is your self-care routine?” Students are notorious for not taking care of themselves and I think this is amplified in nursing students. People entering the nursing profession tend to seek to put others first and demonstrate a high level of care to others, often at the expense of themselves.

So, here’s my tips for taking care of yourself while in nursing school and after graduation too!